Return to the Dark
by isoner
Summary: In a possible future, Buffy has a fatefull encounter with Vampire Princess Miyu.


I do not own any Buffy or Vampire Princess Miyu characters.  
-- isoner  
  
Return to the Dark  
  
It had been a long life, too long in many ways. How was a slayer, who had a life expectancy of 18 years, suppose to live this long. The worst part had been watching her friends die. Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Giles, Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Oz, Dawn, even Dawn's grandkids… and so many others she had lost count. Still, she had aged… for a while. Buffy figured it had something to do with the spell that Willow used to bring her back to life, but she couldn't be sure.  
  
Some times she wished that she had allowed herself to be killed  
And now, of course, the only people she could ask had all died of old age. They had lived such unhappy lives. They all had, and Buffy couldn't help feeling that it had been her fault.  
  
Naturally Buffy had kept busy. Slaying, keeping the Vampire population down, and Demons too, naturally. But that had been a long time ago too. There just didn't seem to be any left, not even here in Sunnydale, on the Hellmouth. It seemed like decades had past since the last apocalypse.  
  
Now, she was best known as the middle aged lady with all the cats. Except that she didn't have any cats, but she supposed that she seemed the type that should since she stayed alone and didn't have any friends coming to visit. She didn't want any more friends, just to watch them die like the rest.  
  
The only time any one visited her at all was when the neighborhood kids came by to try and sell her cookies or band candy, or wrapping paper. She made the point to always buy ALL the band candy, and a few of the cookies. At times she was surprised the kids weren't scared of her, but then she supposed that kids were only afraid of lonely old ladies and not middle aged ones.  
  
The doorbell rang, so she stood up to answer it. She was surprised at how tired she had become of life. How tired she had always been of it. It didn't ache for her to move, but she felt like it should, and was disappointed that she didn't have new pains to give her life variety.  
  
Buffy opened the door revealing a small little girl standing on her steps, looking up at her with challenging, yet sad golden eyes.  
  
"May I help you?" Buffy asked the little girl. Deep inside, something wanted to panic and fear this girl. Wanted to, but it was too tired and lonely.  
  
The little girl smiled her sad humorless smile.  
  
What Buffy couldn't quite understand was why this girl seemed so... She knew here from somewhere, some how.  
  
Then it hit her, the girl was a vampire, although not one she had ever seen before. She turned to run.  
  
How could she be out now, in the middle of the day?  
  
She hadn't needed her stakes in so long, where were they? Why was she so slow? She was far too old to keep doing this.  
  
Hall closet. In her hurry, she pulled the door off its hinges. Her old bag had a thick coating of dust. She really needed to clean the house one day.  
  
Ripping the bag open, she pulled out the first steak she could put her hands on. Mr. Pointy the third, one of her nicer ones. Dawn's first child had carved it for her for Christmas… why couldn't she remember the child's name?  
  
The little girl was behind her.  
  
"I didn't invite you in."  
  
The girl giggled, "I know. I'm here for you."  
  
Buffy raised the steak, and began her lunge for the girl.  
  
The girl took a step back and called out, "Larva."  
  
A robed figure flashed across Buffy's vision. Mr. Pointy the Third broke in two. Buffy was thrown against the wall, her face bleeding.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
The girl replied, "I've come for you. For the longest time I tried to get you to reveal your true form."  
  
"This is my true form!" Buffy watched the robe figure carefully. Ready to dodge or strike. He was the real threat here, not that the girl was to be underestimated.  
  
"Buffy Summers died when she fell from a scaffold to save her sister from Glory."  
  
"I AM Buffy Summers." She lunged at the girl.  
  
As expected, Larva moved in to block Buffy's attack, so he was surprised, when the full brunt of her assault fell upon him.  
  
"You have lost your true form."  
  
His hand move, slicing the air where her arm just was.  
  
"Because of a spell to bring Buffy Summers back to life, you have her body."  
  
Buffy's kick landed firmly on Larva's mask, knocking him back. She did not relent, would not give him a chance to attack her again.  
  
"You have her memories," The girl held her arm out to her side, palm up.  
  
His hand slashed again, Buffy yelled as blood spurted from her leg, and she punched him in the chest.  
  
"You have lived the life she may have had, if she had lived." A flame flickered into the palm of the girl's hand.  
  
Buffy continued to land hit after hit on the cloaked thing. "I told you before, I am—"  
  
"You are the Shimna Necator." The flame flared.  
  
Buffy was caught off guard, as her opponent suddenly backed off, beyond her range.  
  
"I return you to the Dark!"  
  
The flame was no longer in the girls hand, but all around Buffy. It did not burn. Instead it felt like going home. To the Dark… back to that place she had felt so happy in before she had been ripped into existence. Back to what she thought of as haven.  
  
Just as quickly, the flame was gone.   
  
The girl Miyu turned to leave, no sadder or happier than she had been before. She opened the door, revealing the strange trees of her own dimension beyond. Miyu, with her companion Larva left, forever together and alone. 


End file.
